Law-Power, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
DEARE SIRS,
WEE crave leave to treat with you about thoſe words ere ſet downe in the cloſe of the former Treatiſe, The power and virtue of the law of Relation written in the heart; If ye never met with thoſe words before bleſſe God you have met with them, and make much of them now. Theſe are Maſchil, none like them ſo far as we know, to inſtruct your ſelves, and us to a right underſtanding of the way, to point the eye to it, to guide the foot in it, that our walke therein may be according to ſound judgement and diſcretion.
§ 1 We have heard you ſpeake highly enough, and pray as earneſtly for Learned, and ordained Miniſters. Well, If you will ſay more, we thinke all the Godly in the land can joine with you in your deſires: but ſtopping there▪ we beleeve they will ſtop too, and cannot pray the ſame thing. Though yet we beleeve, That all other faithfull ſervants of Chriſt, have the mind of Chriſt, they love order, they hate confuſion. Notwithſtanding we take the boldnes to tell you our perſwaſion That a Godly man will aſſoone paſſe under Tyburne, as he will under the hands of thoſe Miniſters for ordination, whoſe way and judgement, as to Church-Adminiſtrations, is full-up with them ſo often mentioned. And this be ſpoken without the leaſt refection of Diſhonour upon the Churches, governed by Presbyters, who ſeperate from the world at the Lords Table, as we ſuppoſe.
Srs, We beſeech you for the Lord Jeſus Chriſt His ſake, and love of the Spirit; for His Churches ſake; for His Truths-ſake; for decencie, and order ſake; for the Office, or Stewardſhip-ſake, whereof you muſt give an account ſhortly, Conſider, putting it upon your thoughts: ye ſay ye are the Miniſters of Chriſt; ye ſtand in His ſtead; ye are Stewards in His Houſe, ye are Stars in His hand; What are ye not, which we, with your ſelves, account ho…ourable, makes for your ſtabilitie, and ſtrength, ſecuritie, and ſafetie. Put this to your ſoules now; and if it be poſſible deale clearely and truly at this point in the reſolution of this Queſtion; Hath God cauſed you to paſſe under this Relation of Miniſters? Then He hath written the law of that Relation upon your hearts; What man hath done, ſhould be little with you, and without ſomething more, is nothing to us; Hath God cauſed you to paſſe under that Relation? that is the Queſtion: If you ſay yes, hold it forth, that all may ſee you ſpeake as well as heare you, and give Righteons judgement, That the Lord hath written the law of that Relation upon your hearts. Now the Lord God helpe you all, and every one to looke after this writeing of God upon your hearts; for we are more than jealous, as you give us ſad cauſe; That, it is not yet done, we meane the law of this Relation is not written upon your hearts. You may thinke it is, and you may ſay it is, It is nothing to us, nor we beleeve to any Godly man in all the whole Nation, what you ſay as to this matter, or what you thinke, while we ſee what you doe: Saul ſpeakes as confidently, as you may doe, and ſurely he ſpake as he thought I have performed the Commandment of the Lord, which was, that1 Sam. 15. Amalecke ſhould be utterly deſtroyed, nor perſon nor thing ſpared; That you have not ſaid Samuell; What meaneth then this bleating of the Sheepe in my eares, and the lowing of the Oxen, which I heare? There are none ſo confident in beleeving (we meane a counterfeit beleefe) than are they, that are moſt outragious in ſinning; The foole rageth, and is confident. So may ye ſay ye have kept the charge of the Lord; You have performed His Commandment, ordering matters in His houſe, as becometh Stewards there.
§ 2 Firſt, This ye have not done ſure, for what meaneth thoſe abhominations committed there, not onelyonly by your connivence winking at it, but by your allowance alſo, and more, your doing and juſtifying of what you doe, where it is done; what meaneth all this?
Secondly, What meaneth then thoſe Beaſts in the ſhape of men, and they are the worſt Beaſts, preſenting their Infants to Baptiſme, and themſelves to the Lords Table? not requiring of them ſo much as a bare profeſſion of faith and repentance: all that, they can make; yet more than is required: What meaneth all this, if the law of your Relation be written on your hearts?
Thirdly, What meaneth this (which being granted will proove an In▪ let to, who knowes how great a flood of ungodlines) That things muſt be ordered in Gods houſe, not according to the Principles grounded in Gods Word, but according to the Principles of Infant Baptiſme? What meaneth all this? If the law of your Relation be written in your hearts?
Fourthly, What meaneth then, That unreaſonable, and wicked men paſſe for Beleevers, having no faith; and for Diſciples, who hate Diſcipline; and for Saints, who perſecute holineſſe? If the law of your Relation be written in your hearts, can this be?
Fifthly, What meaneth then, That this monſtrous body, we meane your Church, hath ſo much glorie, and favour in your eyes; and the Church of Chriſt the true members thereof, as in charitie you ſhould judge, ſo little; That alone honourable with you, this alone deſpicable, ſo far as appeareth to mans eye; you are every day waſhing the face of the one to make it looke goodly, and faire before men, and ſo to in-ſtate it in, and poſſeſſe it of glorious matters, while you bewray the face of the other (which muſt needs be, while you waſh the one) not with duſt, as you may reade hereafter, but with mire, and dirt? Surely ye could not doe ſo, if the law of this Relation were writton on your hearts; for thus ye and we read; In whoſe eyes a vile perſon is contemned; but he honoureth them that feare the Lord: Well, The Lord knowes who are His, and He hath made ſome of them to know it, that they are His, for Him they ſerve. And now they know, That He loves them, and to the end, that hath no end He loveth them. And now for mans love, if they have it they thanke him for it; if they have it not it matters little, and troubles them leſſe upon their owne ſcore. But this they know, That upon whoſe heart ſoever this law of Relation is written, this law of love is written alſo; For every one that loveth Him That begat, loveth Him▪ alſo that is begotten of Him, 1 Joh. 5. 1. Idem eſt motus animae ad finaginem & rem, ſaith Ariſtotle ſome where; The love that beares up the ſoule to God, beareth it alſo to the Image of God; Qui amat-ſupra amat infra, he that truely loves God above, heartily loves his Brothe… beneath. But ſee what it is to ſwallow downe the Principles of Infant Baptiſme, and to regulate all matters in the houſe of God according thereunto? as ſome doe; for it is to the men of that way and judgement we ſpeake.
Sixthly, If you have the law of your Relation written upon your hearts; what meaneth then, that you doe with your poore people, ſottiſh, and brutiſh ones; ſo contrary to this law? In ſuffering them to take Sanctuary at the Ordinance of Baptiſme? thereby to ſhelter them from the wrath that is to come? and while they live in their ſinnes, give them right, and title to all Church-Adminiſtrations? Surely, ſurely, they, that feele the law of this Relation upon their hearts cannot doe ſo, no not for a world can they doe it; it were to make a poore ignorant people to beleeve a lie, which we are aſſured is far from your purpoſe to doe: But you know there is finis operis, and operantis; utter deſtruction of ſoules will be the end of this worke, though it is not your end that are the workmen; no, the thought of it, that you ſhould deſtroy ſoules is an abhomination to you. Let your worke, as to this matter, be an abhomination to you alſo. You cannot in evill things, and doiugs ſeperate the end from the meanes, (if the man will goe onn ſinning, his end will be periſhing for ever:) as ye ought not in good things to ſeperate the meanes from the end. (if the end I drive to, be eternall life, the meanes muſt be taken that conduce thereunto.) Therefore by the mercies of God, we beſeech you, and becauſe of the terrour of the Lord, His heavy wrath, and diſpleaſure, dolefull, and dreadfull puniſhments, that muſt be the portion of all Stewards, that feele not the law of their Relation written upon their hearts. by the finger of God there, and regard not to feele it, we would perſwade with you to Conſider theſe matters, what your doings have been, and are, how agreeable to the mind of your God, rule of His word, law of your Relation; adviſe with one another about it, and then ſpeake your minds.
Having praemiſed theſe ſix things for tryall, whether, the law of your Relation be written upon your heart, we proceed herein according to the propoſed Method, and firſt to ſhew